Katherine Willow’s monthly diary: Summer blessings
by Katherine Willow, ND
It’s finally raining buckets. I imagine the earth thirstily sucking up the water to replenish reserves and love the sound of droplets on the leaves. It’s not enough to save a lot of the crops around here, but the drought feels over.
It has been a healing summer for me. Revelations continue to unfold and add depth to my everyday life. Meditation is lighter in summer as the sun invites me to be OUT! Felix and I have taken a season’s pass to nearby Fitzroy Park to enjoy the beach, swim in the Ottawa River, rent a canoe, catch minnows and baby catfish and go fishing.
We were often joined in our adventures by the two German girls, Melina and Larissa, who stayed at the centre to volunteer for a month. We took them for a trip to Algonquin and to our annual pilgrimage to the Blue Skies music festival on the August long weekend. They left yesterday full of wonderful memories and will be missed.
We have a new addition to the household, Julie, who is helping me with cooking and creative childcare, at this very moment engaging Felix in a pre-dinner story on the couch while it continues to pour outside. She is also German, gifting me with an opportunity to practice my first language!
As for Felix’s nervous agitation, we visited his doctor, toxic hair analysis in hand, and ended up taking SIX vials of blood. I had prepared him for how this would go and he jumped onto the lab chair announcing, “I’m not going to cry!” True to his word, he watched his blood being pulled out of both arms without a tear, holding himself together while his head became clammy and his face pale. Afterwards he said in a small voice, “My tummy hurts. . .”, but then revived with the gift of a sticker and lots of praise.
The upshot of all that bloodletting was the news that he is slightly anemic and low in his blood counts and so we will change his diet a bit, continue adding liquid minerals and incorporate some astragalus powder into his food to boost his blood. He is cheerful, helpful — and incredibly bossy and wilful at almost four years old, challenging me to set firm and loving boundaries.
To support my own healing process, I’ve started trading visits with colleague Kealy Mann at the clinic and am delighted at her listening presence and brilliant insights about calming my chronic anxiety, soothing my often irritated digestive tract and boosting my adrenal glands — just like everyone else, grin.
As well, Amber Young is helping me work on a tight lower back which is related to all the survival fears I still manage to carry around at almost 55. I can see why becoming spiritual takes some of us lifetimes. . . At least now I can “breathe into” the tight areas, quite a wonderful feeling.
Other than that I am working on restructuring the growing path of the centre so that it is less hectic and more graceful for all of us working here, heeding my own words: “Slower is faster.”
May you be having a gentle summer in this time of intense changes, and if it’s not gentle, may you move through the difficult layer with faith, self care and compassion.
warmly,
katherine
